


Forever Remembered, Never Forgotten

by Ramoth666



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Everything Hurts, F/F, Feels, Grief/Mourning, Hurt No Comfort, Love Confession, Natasha Is Gone, Sadness, Things are bad, Unrequited Love, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, everyone is sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-02-27 00:47:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18728272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ramoth666/pseuds/Ramoth666
Summary: [AFTER ENDGAME]:Things are bad for Wanda, very very bad. She visits a friend, she confesses to said friend, she feels a part of her died along with said friend and now she is extremely determined to get her back. Whatever it takes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Um- very sad times, as you can see, I love writing about angst, etc. Let me know if you want this to become a multi-chapter fic cuz I have some things in the works for that! Please enjoy and leave reviews, etc. Maybe even suggestions on what you want me to write about (that is specifically Scarletwidow and can border on nsfw). Anyway, have fun reading, lots of feels, yada yada. Love you guys! - Ramoth

Her heart was cold.

Just like her hands, just like her cheeks, just like her skin.

The air around her was freezing, whipping through her hair and causing a tornado of brown strands to fly around her head, crossing her line of vision, managing not to get stuck on her dry, cracked lips.

The leaves crunched underneath her black combat boots, the swirling colors of deep oranges and bright reds and yellows surrounding her, covering the treetops, littering the forest floor. Her face was passive, no emotion evident on her features, and the only feelings that were revealed to the public ever since that horrid day was the mix of war behind her grey-green eyes. An air of sadness and regret followed the young woman around, upsetting everyone that had come into contact with her, but they never bothered to say a thing about it.

Her knees were slowly growing week, the deep red rose clutched between her black painted fingertips, the rough green stem of the flower scratching her skin slightly, a thorn resting only a centimeter above her right pointer finger, almost piercing her skin but not yet causing her pain. Arms getting tired, and a heart that began to feel heavy, she willed herself to hold on, to go further, to make it and finally rest when she managed to arrive at her destination. A place she didn’t really want to visit but knew she had to, but what for? Closure? A chance to say her final goodbyes even though she knew that she would probably visit that place every once and a awhile just to… see? To feel? To look and remember? Why was she going? She had no idea. But her legs kept carrying her, and her hands kept twitching but her head stayed bowed.

She didn’t exactly know the way, in fact, she didn’t know it at all. She hadn’t listened when Clint gave her directions all that time ago, she hadn’t even managed to look him in the eyes when he asked her if she was ok. When he asked her why she had still been grieving and crying over someone she hadn’t spent even a decade with. But they both knew why. A silent understanding between them ever since Ultron, ever since her brother, ever since those days, an understanding that blossomed into a friendship that sometimes consisted of happy smiles and rich laughs, and sometimes days that consisted of no words at all. She was grateful for him, for all that he had done, and she knew that he was still grieving too, and still missing too. But most times that wasn’t enough, to know that he was still there and… and that they had both lost someone. All of them had lost someone.

And it was only when her body begged her to stop, to rest, to calm, that she realized that she had made it. Watery eyes glanced up, locking onto the black marble stone in front of her, the name, date, and sorrowful words engraved in a gold lettering. It was sophisticated, it was simple, it was sweet and sad, it was so much like the one they had lost. A painful smile made its way onto the young witch’s face, a soft promise behind that expression that told the stone that she would try, that she was ok, that they all were ok. But the promise was a lie.

Pink, cracked lips parted, readying her tongue to move and for her mouth to form words. But she couldn’t. Nothing escaped her throat, so she stood, watching the stone, waiting. Waiting for something- anything -to happen, it didn’t matter what it was, good or bad. She just wanted to be put out of her misery, in one way or another. So it was only for a few seconds that nothing was said, that she simply stood and tried to soak in the loss and love of missing a person. She had tried before, done so before, not managed to stop crying before. Then she tried again.

“Hey”

It was all she could manage, all she could say. A sad chuckle left her body, light eyes darting down to shivering legs before she shook her head and finally looked up, meeting the stone head-on.

“Hey… you’d be scolding me right now. Or teasing, who knows?” she smiled gently, rolling her eyes at herself.

Then she cleared her throat, tightening her grip on the rose.

“I um… they miss you. All of them. You were always there, you know? Always present, always acknowledging the things we never acknowledged, never noticed. Like you, you were never noticed. I- I mean you were but…-” the brunette trailed off, sighing to herself before she took a few steps forward and crouched.

“You’d be laughing at me right now, telling me to try and get it out. To speak. We’d laugh, you’d tease, you’d be… you. You’d be here,” her voice broke, big tears welling up in her soft, light eyes.

Then she broke, her staring contest with the stone cracking as her legs grew tired and her body begged her to sit. The sky above was a grey blue, hues of remembrance and sadness hanging in the cold, heavy air. Everything felt sad, different, just like it had been ever since… well ever since then.

Finally, her shaky legs gave out from under her, making her cold shins slam down against the leaves. It was just like when Pietro died, minus the screaming and disintegration of about 10 or 20 killer robots surrounding her. But it was like a part of her had been ripped out, destroyed, damaged, never to be repaired or fixed again. The rose was still held tightly within her fingertips, slowly being turned over and over as she continued to think.

“I- I don’t know how to say this, hell I can barely come up with the right words to tell you that I… I miss you too,” she whispered, her voice cracking further with pain. “And you will never be forgotten, your honor, your bravery, your past. No matter how red your ledger was… it- it was always cleared,” she said softly, changing her position and instead, sitting cross-legged in front of the dark stone in contemplation. A soft smile overtook her features, the gesture sad but caring.

“And, god-” she chuckled, “no matter how soft-spoken you were, or how silent sometimes, you were so… kind. Such an enigma, you- you cared, and it hurts. Jesus, it hurts,” she whimpered, bowing her head as hard tears finally broke through her walls and trailed down her pale cheeks. The young woman’s lower lip quivered, trying to hold back heart-wrenching sobs.

She was being truthful, it did hurt. All of it. It hurt so much, knowing that she would never get to see that familiar smirk or bright smile ever again. No more cheeky glances and snarky comments, or flirtatious remarks and half-sorrowful confessions about finally having a family. No late night staying up watching old TV shows in silence because neither of them could sleep, or the silent understandings and conversations that went beyond what Wanda and Clint had. None of that, none of it. And Wanda missed it so much, the feeling of complete peace and need to just relax. To forget about all of her problems and just fall into a routine with one specific person whom she adored and loved and was so so grateful for.

“But you’re gone. You’re gone and if you were to ever come back… I’d… I’d hug you so hard, so hard. And- and then I’d slap you for scaring me like that. But you’d probably know that it was coming and then you’d catch my hand and smirk, saying something along the lines of ‘you missed me that much?’ or something like that…,” she muttered, frowning before sighing and throwing her head back, her stormy eyes staring up at the grey sky.

“Why?” the brunette whispered then, her dark eyebrows pulling together in confusion, “why? Why did you have to go and leave me here? Alone? Without you?” she asked softly, as if the sky could somehow answer her.

Nothing happened. It was silent, except for the gentle rustle of multicolored leaves and whistle of wind blowing past her tired ears. The color of the sky above her slowly grew dark, only coming to a gentle grey when a loud boom of thunder startled her slightly. Then the brunette smirked, facing the stone again.

“Was that you? Are you laughing at me?” she teased, raising an eyebrow at the stone and smirking, momentarily forgetting that she wasn’t speaking to a physical person, not until a tear or two had fallen onto her unclothed forearm and made her shiver sadly.

“Oh… right…,” Wanda whispered, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, then she opened them and sighed.

“I guess this is where the truth comes out, because I’m sure that you’re getting tired of listening to me,” the Sokovian paused, “We miss you… as I’ve said. We miss you and I- I miss you. I miss you so much,” she said seriously, “And, goodness, I regret this but I never got to tell you that… that you were my everything. I was so happy when you were near, when you were around, when you smiled and laughed or did… anything,” Wanda said softly, confessing as she stared down at the rose from time to time almost abashedly. “You were stunning, you were all I’ve ever wanted. And- and I didn’t want to be just another one of your marks or- or another Avenger friend to you, no, I wanted to make you happy,” she whispered, tears now running down her flushed cheeks as suddenly, a light drizzle began to dance over the forest leaves and hit her cold pale skin, “I wanted to make you laugh and smile and dance- something I’ve never seen you do before. You were my… everything. The thing that kept me going, that kept me awake and… and alive. I felt unsafe with myself after Ultron and- and Pietro. But you were there, and somehow, you made me feel better, made me feel safe, made me feel like there was someone else out there that understood me,” the Sokovian said gently, shaking her head softly before staring down at the dark rose she held, her light eyes getting stuck on the droplets that had been sticking to its stunning petals.

“But now you are gone, and the need for that happiness, that need to make you happy… well that hasn’t faded. You are still wanted and needed, even while you’re gone, even while you’re hopefully listening to my ramblings and looking at me from wherever you are,” she smirked, releasing small huffs of breath as poor whimpers escaped her lips.

“And if you are listening, which I know you are, you have to be, then I need to let you know that I care. I care so much and I need you so much and I miss you so much, but you’re gone,” she whimpered, her mouth pulling open in a silent scream of hatred and sadness and loss, “you’re gone and- and- please… if there is any way that I could get you back then tell me. Let us know. We need you, you kept us sane. Both of you but I- you were the one I cared for the most,” Wanda sniffled, tired red eyes darting up to stare at the dark stone.

“You were the one I loved,” she whispered then, her cracked lips turning up into a soft, tear-jerking smile, “you are the one I love. And- and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to love someone else as much as I love you… ever again,” the young witch stuttered out.

“Please come back, please,” her sad voice filled the air, scaring birds, rustling leaves and clouds with its intensity.

And her gaze finally landed on the stone once more, reading its words carefully, watching the letters and understanding them, absorbing them, crying for them and crying with them.

 **Natasha Romanoff**  
**A loving friend, aunt, and warrior.**  
**Forever remembered, never forgotten.**  
**April 24, 2019.**  
**“It’s ok”**

“I love you Natasha, I love you so much”

And then the world went black.


	2. Did you love her?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More confessions are made. Feelings are also spilled. Wanda still misses her everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it's more of a filler chapter but it reveals most of the plot and will maybe make you cry? Anyway, have fun reading lovelies- and thank you!! -Ramoth (I also didn't re-read so all mistakes are mine and all of the characters mentioned belong to Marvel)

Faint voices met her ears, making the young woman wince as her green eyes fluttered open. Throwing a forearm to shield her from the light, Wanda breathed heavily.

“Oh! She’s awake,” a soft, excited voice said, the tone hushed as someone came closer.

“Wanda?” another similar voice asked, making her dark brows furrow. “How ya’ feeling?” the man said gruffly, realization hitting her like a train.

Clint.

Clint was there.

The man she hadn’t seen ever since that day where they all fought, where they all won. Ever since Tony’s funeral.

“Clint?” she husked questioningly, slowly bringing her arm away from her face and squinting against the harsh fluorescent lighting.

“Yeah…,” he said kindly, standing beside her body on the right.

“Where am I?” Wanda asked softly, her accent pouring into her words as her shining eyes took in the silvery white walls of the room.

“The medical wing,” Banner’s voice finally registered, the muscular green man slowly going up to stand on her left.

“Oh,” the brunette answered absent-mindedly, staring at the far wall across from her.

There was a beeping, the steady sound of the heart-rate monitor standing beside her head sounding like a million drums screaming inside her ears. Wincing quickly, she groaned and sighed, digging her wrists into the soft material of the mattress before pushing herself up into a sitting position. Wanda was tired, fatigued, and confused. Quickly glancing down at herself, something got caught within her mind, something nagging her and scratching at her, telling her to remember.

Looking around and letting her light eyes drag over those who were with her in the room, the young woman’s eyebrows furrowed. Nat wasn’t there. Natasha wasn’t there. Of course she wasn’t there, she was… gone. Dead. Tears sprung into her eyes, blurring her vision as her lips fell open in a silent scream, her eyelids flickering shut. No one said a word, the only sound filling the room was the slight increase of beeping as her heart rate sped up. Soft tears running down her flushed cheeks, Wanda slowly looked up, opening her eyes and meeting Clint’s sorrowful gaze immediately.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his hand slowly moving up the mattress to hold her cold palm. She allowed the small, reassuring touch.

“Where is the rose?” the Sokovian choked out, swallowing sadly as she blinked and slid her gaze over to Bruce, who was still waiting patiently with his head bowed.

“Rose?” the green man asked, raising an eyebrow as he peered up at her through his small eyelashes.

“Y-yes, the rose I had with me. Where is it?” Wanda asked quickly, squeezing Clint’s hand without thought as she sniffled.

“Th- there was no rose when we found you,” Bruce responded, stuttering slightly as he too, became confused.

Whimpering softly, the brunette looked down at her blanket covered legs, the black ‘Avengers’ logo printed in the middle of the soft cotton. She hated looking at that symbol, knowing that everyone that mattered to her as an Avenger was gone, knowing that everyone that had seemed to hold the team on their shoulders had disappeared. Steve was gone, he had lived his life and tried his hardest, met Peggy, and decided that maybe, because everyone else he had held very very dear to his heart was gone, that he would go out with a bang as well. And then Tony. Sweet sweet, annoying, intelligent, pretends-not-to-like-anyone-but-loves-everyone Tony. He had put his life on the line, knowing that he’d lose everything he loved, and that those who loved him would lose him too. The pain was mutual, the pain was heartbreaking, the fact that he was gone and the only person that seemed to really have a mind and at the same time seem insane had snapped his goddamn fingers and ruined himself in the process. Wanda’s heart had cracked at that, the slivers filling with tears and crying and bleeding for her friends, who had lost everything. But no one seemed to care about how she felt. No one dared to ask Wanda about the Vision, or about Nat. Hell, no one even knew that she liked Natasha, they all thought she was just a friend, just a person that cared a hell of a lot about another person. But they were wrong.

And sure Wanda loved the Vision, but only as a friend. He was kind, he somewhat understood her and when he didn’t, he tried to. But Natasha, who didn’t really seem to care much about revealing feelings or opening up or understanding people, that cold assassin had slithered into her heart, mind, and soul and had made her fall in love with everything that she was. The redhead was special, different, she knew the things that would help Wanda, fix her, heal her, but she let her figure them out on her own time, not wanting to force anything onto the witch like Vision had semi done. Leaning her head back, the brunette stared up at the metal ceiling, trying to control her breathing and thoughts as the memories of Natasha came flooding back.

She hadn’t lied when she said Nat had been her everything, had been the thing keeping her going. She was a blessing in her young, heartbroken, eyes, but would never know that. She’d never understand. Because she was never going to come back.

“Do you know what the hardest thing about it is?” she croaked out, her voice dry and husky as she sniffed harshly and switched her gaze from Bruce to Clint.

They both looked at her questioningly, sadness in each of their gentle gazes as they tried to treat her with care. As if she were glass. And maybe she was, maybe the infamous Scarlet Witch had finally become so soft for someone that she, herself would have sacrificed everything so that that specific person could live. So that her friends could live.

“When I was looking back at recordings, Sam told me to just in case I could find something on how to try and get Tony or Steve back, there was a recording from before the fight. Natasha and Steve were talking. He said- he said that he thought it was time they both get a life,” she paused, her words whispered and breaking with each breath that escaped her cracked lips, “and she said you first,” the brunette forced out, heavy sobs wracking her body as her tired limbs convulsed out of a heart-wrenching pain.

It was like she was breaking emotionally, mentally, physically. And once her eyes reopened after a few silent moments of uncontrollable crying, she saw heavy tears cascading down the cheeks of her friends, both of their heads bowed as they all mourned quietly. No matter how much they tried to get over it, or forget, or move on, or tell themselves that it was just the grieving process and that they would be ok, they knew those words weren’t true.

Clint’s head slowly rose, sniffing quietly as he stared at Wanda, a yearning question burning behind his intrusive, sad, gaze.

“Did you love her?” he asked softly, brown eyebrows furrowing as he never once broke their staring contest.

How could she answer that question? It wasn’t a simple yes or no, it deserved an explanation. It deserved some sort of elaboration to make them understand how she felt and why she felt that way. And her heart skipped a beat for a moment, it was heard on the monitor, causing Banner to quickly glance towards her and then at the screen before calming down and visibly relaxing, his broad shoulders slumping forwards. Clint’s question was the same one she had been asking herself for years, even before Natasha decided to sacrifice herself for everyone. Did she love her? Did she really?

“How-”

“Did you love her?” he asked again, his voice definitely more forceful but not strong enough to make her flinch.

She knew he just cared. He cared about her as well as his lost friend, he needed to know just for the sake of because. Wanda had learned a while ago that most things didn’t have to explained or known and revealed, but it was for the sake of reassurance and promises that a person asked and that a person answered.

“Yes,” she paused, “and I always will,” the brunette finished off, a tearful gaze tearing away from her friend’s, only to meet the wall once more.

She had never admitted it aloud before, never said those words to anyone but her brother and family, as well as the Vision, who had decided to become her coping mechanism without even knowing it. And Wanda had felt horrible about that, about ‘using him’, but she knew that if she didn’t, she could become a very very big problem. He soothed her, therefore dulling her emotions, which were tied to her powers. It was a win-win, except for the fact that her heart and body ached for someone else day by day. And for the fact that those three special words and that one worded answer had been revealed after the person had gone.

There was silence, a mixture of confusion, sadness, and increased stress filling the atmosphere. Gently sliding her palm away from Clint’s, the Sokovian began to shift and move, stirring quickly as she wished to get out of that damn room and go back to Nat, go back to her stone and sit by it because it was the closest she could ever get to her.

“Wait,” Banner said quickly, the breathy word cutting through the air and halting all of Wanda’s movements.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Clint’s head snap up, his stormy eyes locking onto an almost ashamed Bruce. The green man sighed, shooting the man named ‘Hawkeye’ a sorry look before turning to Wanda.

“What?” she asked impatiently, her fatigue growing as she felt the desperate need to get away from the itchy bed, fall into a much softer one, and sleep there. Maybe leaves were soft too?

“We found a way,” he muttered, looking down and away from the confused brunette.

She hadn’t heard him correctly, no of course she hadn’t. His words made no sense.

“What?” the Sokovian repeated, the tone in her voice changing from irritated to soft and bewildered, her brow furrowing.

“We found a way… to get her back,” Banner repeated himself, eyes still cast down to the linoleum floors.

No, he had to be lying. He was. There was no way, there was no way they could get her back. Clint had said that she was gone, he had explained that there was no way to undo what she had done and that he had seen her soul leave her body, saw the blood spill from her head as she slammed down against the icy stone. Brows furrowing further, the Sokovian growled, tears slowly bleeding into her eyes as she gripped the edge of the mattress.

“Does this look like a joke to you?” Wanda breathed, her nostrils flaring as her eyes slowly began to glow.

Bruce’s head snapped up, his gaze widening as he stared at the young woman in awe.

“W-what? No, Wanda, no, we found a way,” he said quickly.

“Wanda calm down,” Clint said from behind her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off, not feeling in the mood for the comforting touch as she shook her head and scoffed angrily.

“You said there was no way to save her Clint, were you lying?” the young woman asked softly, turning her body around to face her teammate with a face of stone.

“No. We thought she was gone, but… Peter called. He said that- uh- that there’s something called a- a multiverse,” the archer said gently, his voice rough with emotion as he stepped back from the bed.

The beeping was still ringing out into the room, filling all of their ears with the annoying sound of Wanda’s heart. The air became thick, dry, and sorrowful. Full of emotions and feelings. Finally, the girl turned her head away, eyes cast aside as she clenched and unclenched the scratchy sheets of the mattress.

“Then… then what? How- are… how?” she whispered, her bottom lip quivering as tears slowly built up even more inside her light eyes.

“We don’t really know Wanda, but, we’ll try… ok?” Bruce spoke up, his eyebrows raising in question as she looked down at the heart-broken witch.

“Yeah,” she said huskily, slipping off of the bed and ripping off the small white circular patches that were glued to her skin with a sticky substance.

“Wait you- you shouldn’t leave. You almost got hypothermia Wanda,” Clint said from behind her, his voice full of worry.

“I’m going to bed,” the brunette stated, turning away from both men to walk over to the entrance to the medical room.

Standing in the doorway, she placed a hesitant hand on the door frame, head bowed and eyes dark with fatigue.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she whispered, trudging out and into the main room, her footsteps receding as soon as she stepped out of the medical wing completely and disappeared into the main part of the tower.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She didn’t know where she was going. Her feet were taking her anywhere, leading her anywhere, her mind blank as she didn’t pay attention. It was confusing, Peter’s claim and the fact that both Bruce and Clint seemed to believe it. It was confusing how ever since that horrible day, the brunette’s mind seemed blank, overtaken by questions and emotions that constantly seemed to cloud her thinking. Even after months, days, years, the young witch still couldn’t believe that Natasha was gone, that she would never come back, that she would never see her again.

Sighing softly, slow tears rolling down her cheeks, Wanda swayed from side to side in the hallway, her footsteps lazy and uncontrolled as her left and right side slammed against the walls on occasion. It was hard- keeping herself upright and sane as she looked back on those wonderful memories with Natasha, those wonderful memories with Tony.

Her body stopped, feet grounding themselves in front of a silver door in an otherwise plain hallway. It was empty and cold. Sighing softly, the brunette lifted her head and stared at the strange sliding door, the hallway and room in front of her suddenly not becoming similar.

It wasn’t her room, it wasn’t her hallway, it wasn’t her space. It was a stranger’s, it was a long gone friend’s bedroom. And without another thought, the powerful witch slid her red tendrils into the lock and slid it open, slipping into the room and closing the door behind her. A freezing cold air pinched her skin, making her shiver as she stepped closer to the bed and surveyed the otherwise empty room.

There was no light filtering in, dark curtains closed over the floor to ceiling windows covering the left wall. The bed was covered with dark grey sheets and a black duvet, the bed frame a deep chocolate brown mahogany wood, casting a shadow on the light grey linoleum floor. Wanda cleared her throat and whimpered softly, light eyes closing as she took a deep breath and tried to control her breathing. The air was thin, breathable, but sad. Everything felt sad when Natasha wasn’t present. And Wanda had always wished to be in that exact room, sitting on that exact bed in front of her, sleeping gently with a fiery redhead whom always managed to steal her heart. But not like that- not when the fiery redhead wasn’t there and not when the air was so cold and the bed was so empty. Sliding forward, Wanda whimpered once more before gently sinking down onto the bed and maneuvering herself onto it in one swift motion.

Her combat boots had been taken off, something she hadn’t noticed, and had been left with Clint and Bruce. They knew it wasn’t right to change her out of her wet clothing so they most probably tried their hardest to get her warm and dry. It had worked, she was ok, but her feet were cold and Natasha’s bed was suspiciously warm. It was strange, the material of the sheets covering the assassin’s resting place hot and gentle against her skin, warming her immediately.

“No,” the Sokovian whispered then, light eyes shifting up to stare at the metal ceiling above her.

Natasha wasn’t an assassin, dead or not. She wasn’t a person praised on the red in ledger or the blood on her hands. She was an ex-assassin, a person who had gone through so much but had changed due to the help of her friends… of her family.

“Ex-assassin,” she muttered then, finally letting herself relax and sink into the plush duvet of the bed.

Inhaling slowly, Wanda’s eyes clenched tighter, salty tears falling down her cheeks at an even more rapid pace as her light body shook with sobs. A familiar and haunting scent filled her lungs, the smell of Natasha still potent within the confines of her room. Rich smells mixed together seemed to follow the redhead around, even though she highly disliked perfume. She smelt of cinnamon and fresh rain, as well as warm burning embers of a fire on a cold snowy night. Her bed and pillows held her scent like the earth holds wildlife and Wanda couldn’t help but try to regulate her breathing just to get more of the wonderful smell caught in her lungs.

Though, the bed still felt empty and much too large. It was made for two people, it was supposed to be comfortable, but Wanda just felt embarrassed and ashamed for sleeping in another person’s bed. Especially when they were dead, their body laying at the bottom of a massive cliff on a planet called Vormir, and when all you’ve ever wanted is for them to come back and just crawl into their bed with you, cuddle beside you, and just… be.

Her light eyes began to flutter closed, tears still running down her cheeks in soft onslaughts of emotion. Wanda’s body convulsed with hard sobs before stilling, the previously rapid breathing slowing to a gentle up and down. It was sad, knowing Natasha was gone, but it was the small sliver of hope in the brunette’s mind that gave her the courage to drift off to sleep in her everything’s bed, smelling her everything’s smell, missing her… everything. 


	3. Steve?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda is going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey!! This chapter is a bit of a filler again and kinda small but, I swear more action will be involved next time and a hell of a lot of sciency stuff. Please enjoy and keep leaving comments, they make me work faster ;) Enjoy reading!! -Ramoth (All mistakes are mine and all characters belong to the Marvel Cinematic Universe).

_“Wanda?”_

  
_A smooth, deep voice filled her ears._

_“Wanda!” he yelled, making the young woman jerk awake before scrambling to sit up properly._

_She was still in Natasha’s room, still breathing her in, still missing her. But it was bright, the curtains had been drawn back from the windows, causing light to pour into the space and illuminate the empty walls and Wanda herself._

_Shielding herself from the light by throwing an arm in front of her eyes, the brunette groaned and clutched her head with her left hand, her temples pounding and aching as she tried desperately to wake up._

_“Good, you’re up,” he said finally, making Wanda turn to look at the outline of a figure standing in front of the windows, his back turned to the world outside._

_Squinting slightly and leaning forward, the young witch inhaled sharply, her mouth falling open in awe as her arm slowly dropped to her side._

_“Steve?” she whispered, her brows risen in surprise and confusion._

_“Hey,” he said gently, a soft smile on his chiseled features. He was younger, dressed in his old field suit from ‘back in the day’._

_“H-hi,” she said in response, not really knowing how to speak to her dead friend._

_“Um, I can’t stay here long Wanda but the thing that Peter told you about? The multiverse?” he paused quickly for her answer._

_“Yes?” she whispered softly, her eyes still wide as she shuffled over to the other side of the bed and closed her eyes briefly, her bare feet hitting the cold floor gently and grounding her. At least she knew she was alive._

_“It’s real. But, it’s dangerous,” he said quickly, his voice stern and heroic as if he were giving her a lecture- which he kind of was._

_Brows furrowing, the brunette licked her chapped lips, clutching the duvet on the bed. It was all terribly confusing, everything that had to do with the multiverse or whatever it was or… well anything. She had begun to question everything ever since Thanos was snapped out of existence and Natasha was killed. He had taken everything from her, and she was still a bit upset that she never even got the chance to kill him. She had been so close, knowing that he would indeed, remember her, but Tony just had to save the day and kill himself in the process. To be frank, Wanda was angry and upset about everything and anything but Clint had told her very quickly after the final war that everything happened for a reason, that things would be ok, and that those who had died would always be remembered._

_“How?” the Sokovian whispered, biting her lip anxiously._

_“Wanda, there’s an 8 out of 10 chance that you’d get stuck there, it’s too risky,” he insisted._

_“And if I do get stuck? What is wrong with that?” she asked seriously, her words rolling off of her tongue in her normal Sokovian accent._

_The blonde looked away for a moment, his eyes darting away from her as he crossed his arms and sighed._

_“There’s also a big chance that you could go to a universe where… Nat is still um- her old self,” he said gently, peering up at her through those long lashes, his crystal blue eyes meeting her light green and grey._

_Realization dawned on her, making her mouth fall open and her body fall slack. Natasha would still be the deadliest assassin to live, next to Bucky of course, but she would still have all of her experience and cold personality. She’d be the old her._

_“Oh,” the young woman whispered, looking down at her lap as tears slowly built up in her eyes._

_It was dangerous, very, and it could cost her her life if she were to get stuck there, if she were to meet the Natasha that only knew how to kill and didn’t give a damn about who she hurt. Wanda had never seen her like that, never met that side of her but she knew it was there, hiding and lurking. One does not simply forget their past or their skills, Wanda knew that more than anyone. And she was scared, nervous, but mad. Mad at Thanos, mad at everyone, mad at Natasha for doing that, no matter the consequences she would get her back. She would tell her how mad she was then she’d confess her love and then she would try to live a happy life with her. And if there was a chance, if there was any way she could, she would try to get Steve and Tony back, she would try to reassemble them. All on her own._

_“Wanda, I know you want to save her but-”_

_“No”_

_“What?”_

_“I’m going,” she growled, slowly bringing her head up to meet Steve’s gaze without cowering away._

_Her nostrils were flared and tears were gently crawling down her carved cheeks, but her body was tense and displaying nothing but determination. Rogers knew when the brunette was so dedicated that she wouldn’t give up, he had witnessed that during the war, watching from the corner of his eye as she took out groups of enemies like they were nothing. He also knew that getting Natasha back would be the most dangerous thing she had ever done._

_“Wanda, you don’t even know how multiverses work. None of us do,” he tried to reason, his voice becoming calmer as he realized quickly that the witch needed to be soothed._

_“Fury might,” she said solemnly, raising an eyebrow at the First Avenger._

_He paused, pursing his lips slightly as he stared at her, his arms still crossed and his body still tense. Then his eyes widened, that familiar blue gaze darting around the room as he moved his body and turned, as if he were feeling something she couldn’t._

_“What? What’s wrong?” she asked quickly, jumping to her feet and hesitantly stepping closer to the taller man._

_“I’m- I’ve got to go Wanda, just please remember what I said,” he said gently, his brows furrowed in pain and sorrow._

_Fighting against the blinding light, the brunette reached out to him, small whimpers leaving her lips as an invisible force pulled her back._

_“I will, I swear, but I have to save her,” she said quickly, her voice husky as she grunted through her gritted teeth._

_Their eyes met for the last time, his gaze spilling out the words that he had always meant to say. He’s sorry, he was scared, he was afraid, but he didn’t regret going back to live with Peggy. She understood that, she knew that it was the right thing for him, that he wasn’t the selfish bastard the devil on her shoulder often called him. Then his lips parted and he gasped softly._

_“And tell her I love her,” he said briskly, the back part of his body beginning to fade away into the light, becoming the light itself and shining even brighter than before._

_“She already knows,” Wanda responded quickly._

_And then he was gone._

_The light, the gripping power on her body, pulling them apart. All of it gone._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“Wanda! Wanda please calm down!” someone yelled in her face, making the brunette yelp as she jumped up and tumbled out of the bed, smacking her head against the floor.

Confusion settled over her like a blanket, as well as pain, which shot through her system like a lightning bolt. Groaning softly, she let out a gentle whimper before sliding her hands underneath her upper body and pushing herself upwards. Someone slowly slid their strong arms around her waist and helped pull her up, immediately backing off the second she was standing on two unwavering feet.

“Wanda,” Clint said softly, walking around her and sliding into her line of vision, his face contorted in slight pain.

She looked at him, her eyes glossy and wide as she stared and swallowed, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

“Are you ok?” he asked as nicely as he could, earning him a shake of her head.

Quickly glancing around, the brunette sighed as she noticed the familiar surroundings of Natasha’s bedroom. It was still the same room but the orange and red stained glass lamp on the right bedside table had been turned on, casting a gentle glow around the space. Wanda hadn’t seen it earlier, surprisingly, but it was on now and it was a huge contrast in compare to the rest of the room. The color looked similar to the power that often surged from her fingertips and she smiled sadly at the remembrance of Natasha’s teasing, saying that her red hair was richer than Wanda’s power, and she almost broke out sobbing when she remembered the joy she felt when laughing along with her friend.

“You were screaming and crying and we didn’t want to-”

“I saw him”

“What?” Clint cut himself off, staring at her like she had three heads.

“I saw him,” she said blankly and softly, her words whispered.

“W- who?” the brunette asked, raising an eyebrow as he gently slid his large hands off of her shoulders.

“Steve,” she answered, licking her lips and stepping back to sit down on the edge of the bed, not really noticing the mess of blankets underneath her.

“Wanda… Steve is dead,” he responded as kindly as he could.

“I know. But, he came to me when- when I was asleep and he told me that- that-”

“Hey hey, deep breaths, calm down just relax for a second,” Clint said earnestly, kneeling in front of her as he stared at her with kind eyes.

Doing as he said, the young witch tried to regulate her breathing, closing her eyes briefly for a moment. Going over the things that took place in her… dream made her shiver in slight fear. It was all confusing, especially how Steve knew that they were talking about the multiverse, no matter how briefly it had been. Maybe he was watching.

“He came to me and I was asleep… I think. He- he told me that going to a multiverse or traveling to a different universe or I don’t really know, but Steve said it was dangerous. Because… because I could go to a universe where… where Natasha was still her old self,” the Sokovian muttered, her accent pouring into her words. She hated saying assassin when it came to the older woman, knowing that she was no longer labeled that.

“I mean yeah, it’s a possibility,” Clint responded, looking away before glancing back at Wanda.

“But you- did you think you were going?” he muttered, raising a quick eyebrow.

Wanda’s brows furrowed quickly, eyes widening as her nostrils flared. Of course she was going… she had to be. It was her who needed Natasha back the most, it was her job, she had to do it.

“Y-yes, why wouldn’t I?” she asked quickly, glaring slightly at the man before her.

“Well… I thought just because… well we don’t want you to get hurt. You’re too valuable Wanda,” he said gently, not realizing the negativity that could have surrounded his words.

Her brows slowly furrowed, eyes sparkling with a shining redness as her anger festered.

“Do you not think I can take care of myself? Am I only worth something because of my power Clint?” she barked, tensing immediately.

His eyes widened quickly, surprise and realization flooding his gaze as he looked at the brunette before gulping and standing, shuffling backwards.

“What? No, we just want you to be safe. We care about you Wanda and there are not many of us left so-”

“Don’t say that! They aren’t gone!” she cried, jotting up to her feet to stand in front of him.

“Wanda-”

“I’m going Clint. I’m going to save her, I’m strong enough and I can do it, no matter who she is or where I end up ok?”

He swallowed, nodding and looking down before meeting her eyes again. Sighing softly to himself, the archer stepped back even further.

“Ok,” he muttered.

“Ok, alright, but you need to be prepared,” he finished sternly, his face like stone.

She nodded, understanding why. It was very dangerous, it was very very risky and Wanda was diving head first into it just to save someone she loved. And she would do it- without a doubt without second thought, because she’d die just to get Natasha back.

“Thank you,” she said softly in reply, shuffling forward to wrap her arms gently around him and pull him into a hug.

He fell gently into the embrace, eyes closing as tears slowly fell down his face. Clutching her biceps gently, he pushed his forehead against her shoulder and let out a shuddering sigh.

“Just… bring her back please? I- we need to see her again, all of us, please,” he whispered hoarsely.

“I will, I will, I swear… I will,” she muttered back in the same tone, clutching him as tight as he held her.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Fury”

“We need help.”

“With?”

“The multiverse.”

“Why the hell do you want to know about the multiverse?”

“Peter told us that you-”

“I know what Peter said but why do you need to know?”

“We want to get Nat back.”

Silence.

It was stunning, the silence.

Both sides, both people on different sides of the world silenced by the words one of them spoke.

A man who was never silenced suddenly forgot how to speak.

“It can’t be undone.”

“We found a way.”

“With the multiverse?”

“Yes.”

“And what makes you think you can get her back?”

“Wanda wants to go. She won’t give up until Nat is alive.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

“She’s not going to give up. You know Wanda.”

A pause.

A pause because yes, he knew, and yes, he was still grieving.

“I do.”

“Then help us.”

It was a big decision. It was a hard decision. It was a decision he wouldn’t have been able to make had he been sitting anywhere else. Staring and watching old footage, watching her smile, watching her laugh. Watching him joke and watching them interact. That would never happen again. And her smile- he would never see that smile again.

“Fine.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“Bye”

And that was it. Call made. Call finished, call over, Clint had done it. They were getting help, they were going through with it. Wanda was going. And Wanda would get her back.


	4. She Didn't Say Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury gives them all a stern talking to, and he somehow makes friends with a rather peculiar witch. Their bond is bigger than others may think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Back at it again with the angst and surprisingly short chapter. Wanda is going on a trip in the next chapter, that's for sure. Please enjoy just by the way! Also, all mistakes are mine, I didn't re-read and all of the characters are apart of the MCU (unfortunately, they aren't mine). Ok! On with the reading! -Ramoth ((ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS AND KUDOS AND READS I REALLY APPRECIATE IT KEEP THEM COMING IF YOU'D LIKE, I LOVE TO READ WHAT YOU ALL THINK))

Fury had done as planned, coming in on a single jet that he flew alone. He wasn’t one to travel with a friend and Carol had taught him how to fly a spaceship a while ago, he had bragged once or twice to the team about their adventures here and there.

“Thank you for coming,” Clint had said as an introduction the second the man dressed in black walked into the Tower.

“Where’s Banner?” he asked, nodding at the brunette as he walked in the direction of the lab.

“The lab, still know where it is?”

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” he shot back, smirking as they stepped into the elevator.

“How is everyone doing?” Fury asked politely, something he didn’t do often.

“Ok. After Steve… ya knowed, Sam and Bucky have been trying to live up to his standards, all that. We’ve been trying to rebuild the Tower as best we can, the very top floors aren’t finished yet. Pepper and Morgan visit from time to time but try to avoid all the… history,” Clint responded, giving the older man a quick run through.

Fury nodded, stepping out first into the lab. He knew of Banner’s change and had been quite impressed originally, considering that the man hated his greener half at first. His black boots squeaked slightly against the metal floor, alerting everyone in the building that he was there.

“And Wanda?” he asked, turning the corner and inching closer to the lab.

“I’ll tell you later,” Clint responded before Fury threw open the glass lab door and stepped in, making the archer behind him catch it before entering next.

“Hey! Fury!” Bruce broke the silence first, turning around to face him with a happy smile on his features, his big hands held up in welcome.

Fury nodded at him, a very slight smirk to his lips before his eyes took in a whole different person. Wanda’s appearance had clearly been forgotten about, he guessed it was something she just really didn’t bother with after losing everything. There were dark bags under her light eyes, a natural frown to her lips, and her hair was unbrushed and knotty. Her clothes were dirty, feet shoeless, and body shuddering, her gaze staring off into space. Fury could sense the tension, could see the regret and war behind her usually smiley, if not damaged, face. She had changed immensely- they all had- but she had lost the things closest to her. Pietro, Vision, her mentor. But Fury had a feeling that his favorite Russian spy hadn’t been just a teacher in the eyes of Wanda Maximoff.

“Maximoff,” Fury stated, his gaze burning into her hunched over form.

Her eyes slid up to meet him, quickly widening and straightening her back before clearing her throat and nodding at him. She was sitting on top of one of the lab tables, the cold metal making her shiver as she tried to clean herself up for her boss. Fury thought it was sad- her physical need to put on a mask as soon as someone saw and noticed her, really, really noticed her and sometimes saw through her. They weren’t chums- hell they hadn’t even had a full run-on conversation with each other, it was just a few talks and shared words here and there. At Tony’s funeral, he told her it was for the best. But she had merely nodded and smiled sadly.

“Hi,” she said in reply, her voice husky with emotion and tears, her eyes having been slightly red as she slid off of the table and approached him, remembering her manners.

Holding out her hand to the taller man, she nodded slightly at him, his handshake strong and stern but reassuring in a way that Wanda couldn’t understand. Then the man turned to Bruce, understanding that the young witch wouldn’t want the attention to be on her the whole time.

“How have you been?” Banner asked, smiling awkwardly as he shuffled closer to his boss.

“So-so. Carol’s been on my back about some space shit again,” he shrugged lightly, frowning slightly.

“Yeah, how is she?” the bigger man asked purely out of respect.

“Good,” Fury paused, “Now are we going to get down to business or loiter here all day?” he asked bluntly.

“Banner, show us your… sciency stuff,” Clint would speak up, crossing his arms and sliding past fury to walk up to Bruce, who would turn and walk over to the main lab table.

“Ok so, for someone to go and bring- bring her back, we have to send that person into a portal,” the largest man in the room said, adjusting his glasses slightly as he stood beside the table and hunched over pre-made diagrams for a man-made portal stabilizer.

It was all very confusing, blueprints included as they all stood around the metal table, Wanda standing a few feet away but still watching and listening intently.

“So I’ve created two round holders for portals, an input and output. The person will go through the input and come out of the output when ready,” Bruce explained, “but there are risks. An example would be- we don’t know how time works, so it could be three seconds in a different universe but three years in this universe,” he finished, glancing briefly at everyone around him.

“Do you know how the portals will be created?” Clint asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned on the table, his arms holding him up.

“Well, if my calculations are correct-”

“Strange,” Fury cut in randomly.

“What?” all three heroes turned to the darker man, brows furrowing in question.

“Strange. Steven Strange,” he said next.

“What about him?” Banner asked, raising an eyebrow.

Fury’s face fell, his eyelids weighing heavily on his dark eyes, his gaze blunt and questioning. It took them all a moment, their gazes suddenly widening. Wanda’s face was impassive, her lips shut tight as she folded her arms and looked around slightly wide eyed at the men around her.

“Oh! Shit!” Bruce said suddenly, quickly walking over to a large modernized computer that Tony had made for him as a gift a long time ago.

After a few awkward moments of the large green man aggressively typing, he sighed and trudged back to the table.

“He’s away on a trip, important business,” Banner said, looking down sadly.

“Are you kidding me? This is Natasha we’re talking about,” Clint spoke up, his voice slowly growing louder.

Wanda flinched away, clearing her throat as she seemed to fold further into herself. Fury glanced at her before fixing Clint with a bored gaze, telling him to stop. Clint stared back at him, as if saying ‘what the fuck?’, before stepping down and relaxing.

“It’s fine, the man-made portals will do,” Fury stated, crossing his arms.

“Yeah um, ok, I just have to power them and yeah-” Banner said quickly, desperately trying to make up for his foolish mistake.

He turned around quickly, walking over to the portals before observing them once more and trudging over to the same computer he had been at before.

“No, she won’t go today. Give her time, tomorrow she’ll do it,” Fury directed, his gaze cold and calculated as he watched the green man stop and nod, sighing.

“So that’s it? There’s nothing else? This seems so… easy,” Clint said, his brow furrowing.

“Well, would you rather it be hard? Opening a portal isn’t very hard Clint, it’s the going and coming back that’s difficult,” the taller man growled, his eyes fierce as he stared at the shorter brunette archer.

Everyone was silenced immediately.

“Wanda is going to have time to think about this, she isn’t going immediately and that is final. Does anyone disagree?” he barked, his dark gaze shifting over to Clint knowingly.

There wasn’t another sound, no one responding before Fury nodded, said “alright” and turned, walking away and out of the lab without another word. Sure, they hadn’t seen the older man in a long time, ever since Tony’s funeral, but he hadn’t ever spoken like that when Wanda was present. He cared for her, treating her like glass, and no one really understood why, Wanda didn’t really understand why. If one knew all of Fury’s secrets, they could say that he understood Wanda in a way that no one else did, other than Nat. He had lost someone as well, someone he cared for deeply, but he couldn’t get her back, no she was dead for real and Wanda had lost someone too, and she was willing to die to see the woman she loved live another day.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About five minutes later, Wanda had walked out of the lab, leaving Clint and Bruce behind in silence. Again, she had no idea where she was going, not until her socked feet made small thumps against wet leaves. The air was damp and the sky was cloudy, not too bright, not too dull. She walked without thought, her light eyes cast down at the earth below her, the drops of rain sticking to the floor seeping through the white fabric of her socks. Bruce had kindly given her socks to slip into for comfort since she was often too tired or upset to shower or take care of herself.

And then she stopped, her head snapping up to meet the dark outline of a figure. His back was turned to her, hands clasped in front of him and resting just below his waist. The man stood still, his head bent slightly to look down at the grave lying just a few feet in front of him. Wanda hung her head, closing her eyes briefly and inhaling softly, trying to calm her mind before she reopened them again and walked forward, moving to stand beside her boss.

It was silent, not a word flowing between them as they stared at the stone. No one had ever seen Nick Fury when vulnerable- in fact they didn’t even believe that he was vulnerable. But he had never gotten a chance to say goodbye- not to his favorite spy- not to the first deadly female in the Avengers, in the team that they had assembled. But Nick Fury did have feelings, in fact he had many, but just like a normal hurt person would, he hid most of them. It was necessary considering his profession, and he had promised himself that he would not get attached to those heroes, that he would not get attached to those charging into battle on his and their loved one’s and the world's behalf. But he had, and it was at times like those where he regretted doing just that.

“You know,” the man started before pausing, “I didn’t even believe in shit like this,” he gestured vaguely, “before Danvers.”

Wanda nodded in response, tilting her head slightly while listening to his words and focusing on the stone at the same time.

“And Natasha? Well, she was the only Avenger that got close to being human,” he stated, his words tinged with a wiseness unlike any other. “And The Black Widow Program? Well that was one part of the Red Room. Meant to create assassins that the world had never seen before.”

Wanda had heard of the Red Room- they all had, but the little information Nick was providing sent chills down her spine. It was strange- the act of speaking about a person in past tense, as if they had merely cut off all ties with those talking and had traveled to a different country. And it was worse when talking about their past- especially as infamous a past as Natasha’s. She told herself that she was a monster, it clicked then in Wanda’s head. Whenever the redhead spoke about things like that- admitted things like that- the brunette had merely brushed it off with a shy smile, telling her that she was wrong and that she thought of her as amazing, not as a monster.

But Natasha had never believed that, no she didn’t because of her backstory- because of her past and because Nick was right, she was the most human of them on the Avengers, and that damned “room” had ruined her life the second she caught wind of its name. Wanda was angry for her, realizing that they had destroyed the life of an innocent child, an innocent child that merely wanted to save the world, run around barefoot, and shove her small hands into the soft soil of the patch of land in front of her home.

“She was chosen because she was the best. Learned quickly, shoved her feelings away until they were nothing- until the only thing she cared about was killing her mark and making those fuckers proud,” he said matter-of-factly, shrugging his shoulders briefly.

“And do you wanna know the worst thing Wanda?” Fury turned to her, the eye not hidden by a patch staring at her with a cold, sad concentration.

She met his gaze, unwavering as they stood facing the grave but their heads turned to share a secret that no one else knew.

“She knew this was going to happen.”

No. No, that couldn’t be true. Nick Fury was lying. The Nick Fury had to be lying- he couldn’t be speaking the truth, he couldn’t be telling her Natasha knew she would die. Wanda’s eyes widened, her brow furrowing as she turned her body fully to face the man dressed in black.

“That can’t be-”

“She knew what was coming but she didn’t say goodbye. Wanda,” he paused, turning to the brunette fully, “she knows someone is coming for her. She just doesn’t know who,” the dark haired man finished.

“But- is she- what? Do you mean she’s waiting in a different place? Or- or- Vormir?” Wanda stuttered out, eyebrows raised.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but… I don’t know. All I do know is that she’s waiting,” Fury responded.

The light eyed woman looked away, swallowing quickly as she peered back down at the stone in slight confusion. It was surprising- how the redhead/blonde had decided that saying goodbye was not necessary. Maybe she did really know that someone was coming for her, and if Clint’s words were true on how she had said ‘See you in a minute’, then maybe she was still waiting. Waiting for someone. Waiting for her.

“Ok,” the brunette replied.

“Ok,” Fury finished, nodding as he too, turned back to the headstone.

After a few more minutes of silence, Wanda had gently closed her eyes and soaked in the feeling of longing. Longing for Natasha of course, and longing for the warm past where they all spent their days going out to lunch together and scattering themselves all around the world and reuniting every once and awhile just for the sake of holding onto their friendships. So she turned, left, and walked away from the black figure, pausing for a moment to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, something she never did, before continuing on her trek back to the tower.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	5. Meet Natalia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda meets Natasha- no that isn't right- isn't she Natalia now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! I haven't left or abandoned this story lol!! I hope you enjoy this chapter and those to come - things are definitely in the works and there will be more shenanigans, etc. on the way. Have fun reading you lovely lovely people! (I haven't re-read so all mistakes are mine! And I don't own these characters- they belong to the MCU uwu) ~Ramoth (also please let me know what you think lmao)

Wanda hadn’t been able to sleep, of course not. She was stressed, she couldn’t eat, she couldn’t drink, her head had been spinning with a migraine, and Fury’s words were bouncing around in her mind like a million balloons. He had been kind to her, imploring, giving her the information that she didn’t know she needed. It was completely unlike him- the whole ‘hey listen, be careful’ kind of talk, that had been Steve’s job for so long. But Steve was gone. He had died shortly after coming back, due to old age, and she had held his hand on his deathbed and listened to his stories about his wonderful life with Peggy and their friends, and everything he had ever been. Wanda hoped to do the same one day, die happily with Nat on her arm, telling her that it would be ok and that she would be joining her soon- because Wanda really wasn’t interested in staying alive forever. She didn’t have anything anymore, it had all been taken from her, so going to save the woman she loved was the final straw, the icing on the cake, her last mission if she failed.

But once the clock hit 5 AM, her light eyes glued to her phone, which was on her familiar white nightstand, she slipped out of bed and walked out of her room. Wanda had thought it was rude to sleep in Natasha’s room, and she was also kind of mad. Mad at the ex-spy because she hadn’t bothered to say goodbye, even though she was waiting, even though she knew they would try their damned hardest to get her back. But doing things like not saying goodbye was heart wrenching, because what if they couldn’t receive her? What if they couldn’t get her back? Unfortunately, it was too late for ‘What if’s…’ and ‘But’s…’, in fact, it was too late for basically anything. Backing out was not an option, it never was.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shuffling into the lab, she spotted the field suit especially made for her. The day before, after Clint had told her that he had called Fury, he had spent hours working with Bruce on Wanda’s field suit, one similar to those of the ‘Revengers’ and their outfits when going on their ways to grab the stones. With her mouth gently falling open and her body tensing, the brunette gulped as she saw the outfit. The sleek white, familiar red, and black lines. It was so enlightening, but the reason behind it was sad and morbid. She wanted her suit to spawn from happiness, to be used when going into the heat of battle. And she was definitely diving head first into her possible end but it was worth it, definitely, if she were going to save the woman she loved.

Hesitantly walking forward, the brunette stopped a few centimeters in front of the glass case where her outfit was stored. With her nose almost touching the spotless surface, she peered in greedily, her palms getting warmer by the second when clenched into fists. Her breath fogged up the glass, making her squint as she stared at the perfectly measured suit, the fabric and technicalities involved making her shudder in anticipation. It was supposed to fit her needs, supposed to help her through any problem, because it was too dangerous to travel to another universe without some kind of protection or help. And none of them had forgotten the severity of Natasha and the chance in which Wanda could bump into her, let alone face the brutal jet lag of jumping through a portal and coming out in a different timeline and place.

“Are you ready?” a gentle voice asked from behind her, the sound hesitant but sweet.

Wanda jumped slightly, her breath getting caught in her throat before she whipped around and faced the large figure of Bruce- or the Hulk- or Professor Hulk- she didn’t really know. Letting out a course breath, she smiled at the muscular man, his own face lit up with a soft smirk, although his eyes said differently. He looked nervous as well, mainly because it was his job to get her there safely and make sure she landed in a good place, as well as return in one piece. Shrugging quickly, the brunette shoved her uneager feelings down and trailed closer to the waiting man.

“To be honest? Not really.” Well so much for ignoring her feelings.

“Yeah… I wouldn’t be ready either,” he shrugged back, the large blue shirt stretching across his skin showing his muscles.

The brunette shot him a bored look, raising an eyebrow as she tilted her head before slipping onto one of the cold lab tables and willing herself to relax. Bruce clearly wasn’t very good at calming others, nor did he excel at filling an awkward silence with a wonderful, hopeful speech on how much he believed in her or thought she could do it.

“Sorry, just, listen we both know I’m not good at this but you can do it,” he moved closer, standing in front of her with his strong back leaning against the silver lab table behind him, “we know you can,” Bruce finished.

Wanda smiled hesitantly, her gaze distant as she looked at him, looked through him, and tried to believe in his words. She could do it, but not on her own. Maybe with the help of a friend, like Clint or Sam, wherever he was in the world.

Speaking of Clint, two sets of heavy footsteps could be heard clinking down the hall, their footfalls full of intent as they grew closer. Rounding the corner, the tall muscular outlines of the familiar archer and Fury enter the room. Their faces were plain, worry and determination clear within the air they walked through.

“Hey,” Clint said roughly, nodding his head slightly towards the two of them, his stance wide and his arms crossed.

“Hi,” Wanda replied roughly, shooting him a sad smile before glancing at Fury.

“Are we ready?” the dark haired man asked, his face passive.

All eyes were on Wanda then, gauging her reaction and movements as she glanced down at the cold metal floor below her before she nodded. Then the men left the room, turning their backs at the end of the hall to give the brunette some privacy as she slowly opened the case and got a closer look at the suit. Sighing softly to herself, the witch gently ran her fingertips over the chest plate, biting her lip at the smooth, silk-like snowy material. Swallowing, Wanda gave herself a mental pep talk- because no she didn’t really want to die but she would do it if necessary; just to save Nat because that was her only motivation at that moment. Natasha was her only goal.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Fit ok?” Clint asked as soon as Wanda had waved them in, stating that she was ready.

“Yes, almost too well,” she laughed nervously, her brow furrowing slightly before she tried to relax and willed her hands to stop shaking.

Standing before the three men, who were observing her carefully, was a bit unsettling but she brushed it off and tried to stand tall. Holding the helmet snugly underneath her arm, Wanda stepped forward and towards Bruce, watching as he busied himself with the controls for the portals. Fury stood behind them, arms crossed and faced masked with his normal stern expression- everyone tended to their own business, waiting in anticipation.

“Ok Wanda,” Bruce started, finally resting one of his large fingertips on a lever, his kind eyes expectant and warm, “I’m starting it up now,” he stated- waiting for a reaction.

Wanda nodded at his words, begging herself to relax as she tried taking steady breaths. In and out. In and out. And then there was a click, then a whirring sound that filled the entire room, and suddenly the portals had burst to life. The ground shook slightly, wind filtering into the space and flying through each person’s hair. The silver portals had been filled, the color and energy within them; a bright blue and purple with little bursts of light here and there. It looked like they opened right into space, as if she would float the second she stepped through.

“This is your only shot! The portals don’t have enough energy to last another trip!” Bruce yelled over the noise, his brow furrowing as he reached for the brunette’s attention.

Wanda gulped, her eyes widening slightly before she nodded- that was all she could do. Bruce then gave a thumbs up and shot her a sympathetic smile. Sliding on her helmet, she had previously tied her hair up so it would fit- a braid was the best way to go, Nat had known that. Then she turned, the helmet secure on her head and only slightly clouding her vision as she meets the teary eyed gaze of Clint, who was smiling softly and shaking his head- if Wanda didn’t come back- he had no idea what he was going to do. The witch shot him a hesitant smile back in reply before allowing her gaze to dart over to Fury, who was standing stoically. But she could see the bob of his throat as he swallowed down his tears. Wanda was their only shot. Fury had things to take care of, it wasn’t his time yet, Bruce still had major unfinished projects that could help humanity immensely, and Clint had his family- Laura would certainly be upset with him if anything happened.

And the last thing she saw before taking a few measured steps forward and disappearing into god knows where, were the words

‘Bring her back’

escaping Fury’s lips in the form of mouthing- no sound came out but she still understood.

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She had closed her eyes before walking into the portal, which had quickly grasped onto her body and brought her down- sucking her into a constant space-like abyss that she simply couldn’t remember ever seeing because her eyes were closed.

And then she was hitting the ground, her body slamming against metal as clings rang through the air. The force had knocked the wind out of her, causing her to gasp slightly before groaning and trying to lift herself up. The suit felt tight on her then, almost suffocating before she gripped the sides of the helmet and ripped it off. Then she looked around. Her surroundings were dark and wet, like the inside of a sewage system with numerous pipes and energy boxes running along the concrete walls. It smelled musty, like stale air and… blood. Swallowing sharply, the brunette listened closely, soft whispers floating down a nearby hallway and reaching her ears. With widening eyes, Wanda quickly stood up, the boots of the suit clinking against the grates beneath her- which of course alarmed those walking in her direction.

“What was that?”

“No idea.”

“Be careful.”

Swiftly turning, the Sokovian began to make a run for it- her feet slipping slightly against the damp ground before finding her footing and booking it down the hallway, her braid coming loose in the process as the midnight blue hair tie slipped out and fell to the ground. Of course, she had no idea what was going on- or where she was- but the portal had brought her to a universe where Natasha was alive… supposedly. Grunting softly, Wanda scrambled away from the guards, pressing herself against a pipe as soon as she turned the corner. Her chest was heaving, she noticed, and suddenly it was easier to breathe while her brown hair was flowing around her face and down the shoulders and back of the special suit. It was silent for a few moments, not a sound entering her ears except for the faint whirring of… something… in the distance.

Suddenly, the sounds of two screaming men filtered into the pipe system- their yells overflowing with agony and pain as someone- something- hurt them to such an extent. Then she heard the tell-tales of knives sinking into skin; and the very very soft hit of a bullet from a gun sporting a silencer. Wanda looked down quickly, watching as her clothed fingers flexed, tightened, and hung loose- but not a bit of energy flowed out of her skin. With her brow furrowing, the brunette tried again, a small whimper leaving her lips as she realized that yes- she was technically defenseless without her powers. And she merely guessed that her hand-to-hand combat wouldn’t work as well as she wished in this situation, the person who had killed sounded like they knew what they were doing. And yes, her brain slipped back to the warning Steve had given her, that Nat might not be the same- but it couldn’t be the same Natasha. It couldn’t be.

Silence once more, of course this time Wanda really really noticed it. IT was the kind of silence that filled itself and made the hair on a person’s arms stand up, it made one sweat, hear and see things that weren’t there. After looking left and right, and not seeing anything but black painted pipes that were clearly old enough to start chipping, she decided to run right, as far away from those dead guards as possible- because obviously they were dead. Her boots clanged again, which didn’t help the situation at all, but at least distracted the guards from Natasha- wherever she was- because no, Wanda didn’t really know if she was there or not, she just hoped. Slipping slightly around a corner, the brunette almost slammed head on into a large pipe, making her stop quickly before refocusing and charging forward once more.

But she didn’t get very far.

Suddenly, there was the familiar sound of soft footsteps- obviously belonging to someone who had some knowledge of stealth. Then, a strong arm around her neck and a knife being pressed to the back of her head before she was flipped around and slammed against a wet concrete wall. Wanda could only gasp as the forearm held her in place, pressing against her windpipe with a crushing intensity- her eyes widened and her lips parted in pain before her gaze shot down to her attacker.

Green eyes.

Red hair.

Plump lips.

Red furrowed brows.

Slight stress-lines.

No emotion except for anger.

Wanda, even if she wanted to breath, couldn’t. Her breath had decided to lodge itself into the middle of her throat and get itself stuck there. Then tears filled her vision and she let her head fall back against the stone behind her.

“Nat,” she whispered, her voice broken and wheezy as the shorter woman pressed harder against her throat.

“How do you know my name?” the spy growled, making Wanda’s brow furrowed as she looked at her- observed her- and realized that Steve had been right.

Shit. Steve had been right. And now the woman before her, dressed in a very stealthy spy suit, along with the gear, was out to kill her- someone she knew- someone she had lost. The slide of the knife blade against its holder registered only a second later as the weapon was pressed painfully against the side of her neck, the point slowly but surely digging into her pale skin.

“Answer the question,” Natasha- no that wasn’t right. Wasn’t she technically Natalia now? She growled either way.

“I- I’m Wanda,” she probably shouldn’t have told the assassin her name, but what else was she supposed to do?

“I didn’t ask for your fuckin’ name- who do you work for?” Natalia barked, her face dangerously close to Wanda’s, who was barely holding herself together.

“You- you don’t know them,” was all the witch could say, still gasping for air as the spy still didn’t understand that she couldn’t answer without almost dying. But maybe she did understand. Yes, she was most definitely doing that on purpose.

“Wanna bet?” the redhead shot back, only releasing the knife a little bit so the pain wasn’t as explosive.

Wanda smiled sadly, remembering Natasha’s familiar banter and funny comebacks. The older woman never stopped making her smile when she was around- even though they didn’t know each other very well. Then the brunette closed her eyes for a second, her throat bobbing painfully against Natalia’s forearm as she tried shoving her tears down as she had seen Fury do previously.

“I missed you,” the younger woman confessed, knowing that Natalia wouldn’t understand her words whatsoever.

“I don’t know who you are,” Natalia responded, her brow furrowing in slight confusion as she watched some type of emotion pass of Wanda’s face.

Those words sounded so similar- so close to how he worded it before she produced the most power she could muster in that moment. He was unforgiving, a person who didn’t understand anything whatsoever, he was a monster. A monster who had taken her life away. Her love away. Wanda winced, her expression swiftly twisting into one of utter pain and regret- those harsh tears spilling over the bottom lids to her eyes and running down her cheeks in rivers. That woman wasn’t her Nat- she was merely a version of her- but not the Natasha that she missed, knew, and loved.

“I won’t ask again. How do you know my name? And what the hell kind of nickname is that?” the assassin barked quietly, a quiet threat to her voice as she returned to her previous position of pushing the knife into the crook of her neck.

“I- she liked that name,” Wanda choked out, frowning as she looked at the ground. And then she realized her mistake when the other woman’s eyes flashed with a crazed danger. “It’s a long story,” she admitted.

“I have ti-”

A huge blast sounded out from behind them, sending both women crashing into the cold ground as the force smacked against their bodies. Wanda yelped as she fell, Natalia having moved out of the way before the brunette landed on her. The wall they were previously talking behind had been blown in, the chunks of hard rock tumbling to the floor and onto their bodies. A pained growl left the plump lips of the assassin as an especially large piece smacked against her waist, successfully trapping her underneath the piece of rubble. Wanda, on the other hand, was left unharmed- having slid forward last second and just nearly missing a stone as big as the one that had hit Natalia.

The brunette gasped as she slid back on her heels, pushing herself against the other wall- which was made of pipes- and staring down at the redhead, who was growling and trying to force the damned rock off of her body. Then bright green eyes met a faint grey, their gazes intermingling as Wanda stared in horror and Nat glared with anger.

“If you’re not gonna help- leave,” the redhead barked before pushing her scraped palms against the rock once more and using what strength she had left to lift it.

Still, it didn’t work. Wanda looked around quickly, checking for any possible threats before sliding forward on her knees and crouching, grasping the rugged edge of the concrete and throwing her head back as she used her legs and body to tip the slab over and push it to the ground beside Nat’s body. The redhead was breathing heavily, obviously, but she quickly lifted her legs, bridged her body, threw herself backwards, and then propelled herself forward so she stood upright without faltering. Wanda knew she could never do that- so she merely watched with a strange fascination before watching the assassin grab her collar and charge down the hallway.

While trying to keep up, the brunette stumbled a couple times, causing the redhead to grip her collar harder and rub it against the side of her neck like a rug burn. Wanda hissed but continued following, trying to match the quick pace of Natalia- who was most definitely faster than most humans- Wanda would hopefully ask about that later; if she even lived long enough to do that. And then they were dodging bullets, the gunshots just barely missing them as they swerved around pipes, under them, over them, Nat never once losing her grip on Wanda but still not realizing that the young witch wasn’t as athletic as her.

Then, they were bursting through two old double doors, immediately meeting a frostbitten wonderland as Natalia pulled the both of them up the side of a large hill- the strange underground facility slowly fading into the background as the soldiers, or guards, stood just out of sight of the snow. With flakes falling down around them, landing on their eyelashes and hair, both women ran through the thick white blanket, their boots crunching underneath the horrible ground. And only minutes later did a different building come into view.

Nat’s hideout- Wanda had a feeling that that was where The Black Widow stayed while having to successfully execute that mission.

But then the assassin stopped, turning to the brunette- having already let go of her collar once disappearing into the snow. Her gaze was cold, calculating, and judgmental.

“What?” Wanda asked hesitantly, her breathing labored from running so much.

“I’m really not sorry about this,” Natalia said before lifting her fist and punching the brunette in the face.

And the last thing she felt was her body hitting cold snow and her grey eyes meeting the oddly soft gaze of Natalia.


End file.
